Improvement in furling- gaff-topsails



tnitrd iatra @wat Gtjiltt.

GRORGR AqRORD, OF OsWEGO, NRW YORK.

Lette/rs Patent No. 91,92-7, dated June 29, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN FURLING- GAIF-TOPSAILS.

The Schedule referred to `in these Letters Patent and makinglpax't of the same.

To all whom it may concern: y A Be it known that I, GEORGE A. FORD, of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Furling GailTopsails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make Iand use the same, reference being had to the accompznyling drawing, forming part of this specification, in w nc 1- l Figure l illustrates my improvement, v showing the sail partly furled.

Figure 2 is a detail view, illustrating the same, the gait' and sail being removed.

ner in which the hoisting-rope is attached to the sail.

Similar vletters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object .to furnish an improvement iu-i`urling gaftltopsails, and other triangular sails, which shall be so constructed and arranged that the sails may be furled and` uniurled from the deck, quickly and conveniently, even when a strong wind is blowing; and

It consists in the construction and combination of various parts of the furling-apparatus, as hereinafter more fully1 described.

A is the mast, B is the top, C is the top-mast, and

'D is the gaff', about the construction of which parts there is nothing new.

E is the topsail, the lower edge of .which is securelythe rope J, Aso that, by pulling. upon the said rope J Figure 3 is a detail sectional view, showing the manthe roller F will be revolved, wiuding the sail E around I the said roller F, and furling it.

As the sail is uni'urled or uuwound from the roller F, the rope J will he again wound upon the spool I, ready for use in again furling the sail.

-The edges ofthe sail are strengthened with stayropes in the ordinary manner.

To the upper anglehead or top of the sail is attached a strengthening metallic piece, K, having sock:

ets, to receive the upper ends of the stay or strengthening-ropes.

rlhe socket which receives the end of the inner or vertical rope, is made a little longer than the other one,.so that its upper part maybe left open,`to receive the spring-catch L, attached to the end of lthe hoisting or uni'urling-rope'- M, which passes up along the top-mast O, landover a pulley pivoted to the upper part of said top-mast, and thence down to the deck.

A or hoops la', passing around the top-mast C, and which is connected with the mast, and held in its proper position, by ropes at its upper and lower ends, as shown Tlie mouths or-ends of the grooved guide N are made flaring or trumpet-shaped, to guide the metallic socket K conveniently into saidgroove.

The slot Or groove ot' the guide N made of such a breadth that the rope M cannot be drawn out through it. O is a rope, extending from the masthead to the outer end of the gaff D, to support said graff, andalso to assist in support-ing the sail E when illed.

To pass the sail from one side of the rope O to the other, the sail is furled. VThe catch L is then detached from the socket K, and inserted in the socket P, at-

tached tO the rope Q, which passes, on guides or rollers, over the mast-head, and under-'the top', B,'so that, by hauling the -rop'e Q, the catch L may be carried over the mast-head, and downupon the other side of the mast. The catch L is then detached from the socket P, and again attached to the socket K, so that, when the sail is again nnfurled, it may pass up upon the other side of the rope O.

By this construction, the sail may he easily and conveniently furled and unturled from the deck of the vessel, without its being in the least necessary to go aloft. v

The same device can be applied to other triangular l sails with equal facility and advantage.`

stantially 'as herein shown vand described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the rope J, spool 1 gearwheels H G, and roller F, with yeach other, and with the gall or arm D and sail E, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

' 4.' Transferring the sail from one side of' the rope O to the other, by means ofv the detachable catch L,

socket P, and rope Q, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

Witnesses:

O. M. BOND, J. H. MOOOLLOW.

GEO. A. FORD. 

